1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector having a moving plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,116 shows a connector assembly that has a male housing with a forwardly open hood and a female housing that can fit into the hood along a fit-in direction. Male terminal fittings are mounted in the male housing and have tabs that project into the hood. A moving plate is mounted in the hood for movement along the fit-in direction. The moving plate has holding holes that receive the tabs to maintain a correct alignment of the tabs and to prevent the tabs from being deformed by an external force. The moving plate is mounted in the hood so that the distal ends of the tabs are in the holding holes. The mating female housing can be fit in the hood of the male housing so that the opposed female and male terminal fittings connect to each other. The moving plate moves to the rear end of the hood as the female housing advances into the hood.
A peripheral wall is formed on the moving plate and slides in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the hood to guide the movement of the moving plate.
Male housings have become large to accommodate a large number of terminal fittings. Many such male housings are large in a height or width direction but narrow in the transverse direction. However, the above-described moving plate tends to shake longitudinally in such in a narrow male housing. The moving plate will shake less if the peripheral wall is long. However, an increase in the size of the peripheral wall of the moving plate requires a corresponding increase in the size of the hood. Consequently there is a concern that the mating female housing and the entire connector assembly must be larger to accommodate the longer peripheral wall of the moving plate.
The invention has been completed in view of the above-described situation. Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide a connector in which a moving plate is prevented from shaking when the moving plate moves, without enlarging the connector.